Under the ancient tree, inside the cabin.

"I only have water and fruit here, don't mind," the old man offered Rody and Gill a water skin and poured a cup of water for each.

"The Spring of Magical Power?" Rody, with his keen senses, immediately detected a gentle flow of pure magic emanating from the water skin as soon as the old man opened it, and he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Springs of Magical Power are extremely rare in the world because they have the ability to restore magical power. Any spring gushing out such water would be controlled by the most powerful nations or temples, and those not hidden deep in the mountains would not be accessible to ordinary people.

Springs of Magical Power, born of the spiritual aura of heaven and earth, produce very little water each day. Rody had heard that the largest such spring is in the Elves' homeland, the Moon God Forest, which has always been coveted by humans. Wars between humans and elves have often erupted, mostly because of the Elves' countless treasures. It is said that the Moon God Forest has so many Springs of Magical Power that the elves could gather them to create the Moon Well, vital for the survival of their entire race.

Of course, this is just a legend, as no one has ever really seen the Elves' Moon Well, nor knows if the Springs of Magical Power there are as plentiful as well water.

The largest human Spring of Magical Power is in Mile, one of the four great empires. Although it produces less than three large bottles a day, Mile built the world's largest Mage Guild over it. With the unique advantage of the Spring of Magical Power, Mile's mages are the most powerful among the four great empires, producing generation after generation of talent. The other three empires, Norn, Camarion, and Gahle, are known for their knights and can hardly compete with Mile in terms of mages.

Rody had heard from Granny An that Fellick also once had several Springs of Magical Power, but they dried up and never recovered after being destroyed in the fires of war.

"This water tastes really good, I feel all my fatigue disappearing," Gill, after drinking a small sip, excitedly asked Rody, "Is this the water from the legendary Spring of Magical Power? It's so sweet!"

"If you like it, you can drink more. We may not have much, but there's plenty of spring water," said the old man, his wrinkled face expressionless, but his eyes carried a hint of kindness.

"It's very precious water, one cup is enough for Gill. Thank you, respected elder, you are too generous," Gill initially declined, then politely thanked the old man. Rody was reluctant to drink; although his mental power was also greatly depleted from the past few days of practice, he wished he could take this cup of magical spring water back with him and drink it only when most needed.

Unlike ordinary magical recovery potions, the Spring of Magical Power not only restores a person's magical power but also eliminates mental fatigue and negative conditions.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

After prolonged spellcasting in battle, drinking a potion of magic might provide some relief, but one's body and spirit would still be tired, with no real alleviation. A potion of vitality might relieve some physical fatigue, but there are no potions in the world that can eliminate mental fatigue when consumed.

If one could recover with the Spring of Magical Power, it would mean restarting the battle in the best possible condition, making its value immeasurable.

"It's okay, it's just spring water, drink as much as you want," the old man said with a tolerant smile.

"Respected elder, you're not an ordinary person, are you? Can you tell us who you are?" Rody, unable to contain his curiosity, asked straightforwardly.

"I am a Tree Shepherd of the forest. My true body is that large tree you saw outside. Although I can transform into a human, my appearance is quite different from yours, so don't be afraid," the old man sat down, his hoarse voice slowly continuing, "It's been a long time since humans have come here, maybe a few hundred years. I am happy to see young humans like you. You can call me 'Tokles' or 'Toka', that's my name."

"So that's how it is, no wonder we felt the forest barrier outside," Gill said happily and respectfully, "Elder Toka, my name is Gill."

"I'm Rody." Rody sipped the magical spring water and felt his entire body rejuvenated. An indescribable comfort filled his heart, and he marveled silently at the miraculous effects of the Spring of Magical Power, feeling all his previous fatigue swept away.

"Centuries have passed, and once again, great human warriors have emerged in the world. It seems a new war is not far off," the old man slowly nodded.

"What do you mean?" Rody inquired, "Are you referring to the Great War of Gods and Demons?"

The Great War of Gods and Demons was a massive bloodbath that humans engaged in every hundred years. The human allied forces, who worshipped the God of Light, battled against the evil demons, fallen humans, dark elves, underground races, beastmen, and half-beastmen who worshipped the Dark Demon God. The forces that worshipped the Dark Demon God were in the distant East and North, so the human righteous alliance's eastern campaign was known as the Centennial Holy War.

Now, less than twenty years remained until the next Centennial Holy War.

After evaluating the ruins of the Divine Realm, Rody understood a lot. He guessed that this grand War of Gods and Demons was entirely due to the gods and demons wanting to consume the excellent descendants of humans and other races, to prevent the emergence of strong individuals and the continuation of talents among them.

In every human nation, there were Temples of the God of Light, which clearly served as powerful tools to monitor each nation's movements, manipulate the thoughts of the ignorant, and control the wars.

"No, perhaps you are too young to know the most cruel and painful war is the resistance of terrestrial powerhouses against the celestial gods," the old man spoke in a hoarse and obscure voice, "I have witnessed such battles several times, extremely brutal. Almost every thousand or so years, outstanding men and women like you unintentionally come here. Seeing you is like seeing them from those days, but those people have turned into stars in the sky after the battles, leaving only me, a lonely old man, occasionally looking up at the sky, remembering their existence..."

"Elder Toka, may I ask how old you are?" Rody and Gill were shocked to hear this. How old exactly was this ancient Tree Shepherd?

"Age? I don't remember, maybe a few thousand years! The rings in my tree heart are dense. After five thousand years, I couldn't count them anymore." The old man sat alone, speaking hoarsely, "Now, I often stand here quietly, other than occasionally thinking about old friends, I have nothing else to do."

"Has there ever been a victory in the battle between terrestrial powerhouses and celestial gods?" After a while, Rody asked softly.

"Of course, the scale of victory does not always tip towards the stronger side. Terrestrial powerhouses often win, but each victory is hard-won. The celestial gods are as numerous as the stars in the night sky, so very few terrestrial powerhouses survive. Many good things and experiences from the past have been lost. Fortunately, the gestation period and reproduction of terrestrial races are short, and they can fully recover in a few hundred years, bringing forth new powerhouses who follow in their ancestors' footsteps, starting new challenges," the aged Tree Shepherd slowly nodded.

"Elder Toka, if you don't mind, Rody and I will come to visit you in the future," Gill, thinking of the Tree Shepherd's solitary existence, standing here for thousands of years, felt a surge of compassion.

"You can come anytime, because your souls shine with a golden light. I very much like humans like you," the old Tree Shepherd nodded happily.

"I have a question," Rody said, "Elder Toka, do you know of a fruit called the 'Demon Fruit'?"